Ayotte leads bipartisan effort to increase funding for LIHEAP assistance

New Hampshire was awarded more than $25 million through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) on Wednesday thanks to bipartisan efforts led by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH).

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the LIHEAP funding would be allocated to New Hampshire through the fiscal year 2017 Continuing Resolution.

Ayotte and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), longtime advocates of the timely release of LIHEAP funds, applauded the HHS announcement.

“We are pleased that HHS has released these important LIHEAP funds, especially as temperatures are beginning to drop,” Ayotte and Shaheen said in a joint statement.

“LIHEAP assistance is critical for low-income families and seniors in helping to pay their energy bills during our cold winter months. No one should have to choose between paying for heating and paying for necessities like groceries or medication.”

Ayotte joined a bipartisan group of senators in December in calling on President Obama to include at least $4.7 billion in LIHEAP funding in his FY 2017 budget request. In March, Ayotte and other senators urged Senate appropriators to approve increased LIHEAP funding for fiscal year 2017.

The senators voiced concerns that the number of eligible households for LIHEAP assistance would continue to outnumber available funding as the average cost of home heating is expected to remain unaffordable for many households across the nation.